Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

The fighting style of Sea Soul Masters differs greatly from that of ordinary Soul Masters. Because many Sea Soul Masters in Hanhai City need to go out to sea and enter the water, their forte is fighting in the water, especially in the sea.

The Great Soul Arena in Hanhai City can only be considered average, but it is quite lively. The lower rows of seats are filled with noisy cheers, but the sound inside the private boxes is very quiet and does not affect people's mood for watching.

Yan had been to the Great Soul Arena a few times, but the arena in Hanhai City was different. It was not a solid arena made of stone, but a huge pool of water.

The pool is a hundred meters in diameter, and the clear blue water must have been made directly from clean seawater, striving to create the most authentic marine environment.

Inside the pool, the yellow and purple spirit rings rippled with the water, indicating that four sea spirit masters were fighting in pairs, creating a rather intense scene.

The difference between sea spirit masters and land spirit masters is quite significant. Generally, sea spirit masters possess spirit beasts from the sea, and when they release their spirit, they are enveloped in a blue halo resembling water ripples.

Sea spirit beasts' martial souls are basically fish-like streamlined bodies with gills and tail fins, allowing them to move quickly in pools of water.

Both sides in the battle were probably experts in this field. There weren't many splashes of water shooting out of the pool, but the surface was turbulent. Through the clear seawater, one could see them constantly fighting in the pool, making for a rather thrilling scene.

"Bishop Seth, how much longer until the Grand Auction House?" Yan watched for a while before losing interest. The fighting style of the Sea Soul Master was indeed novel, and they could gain a great advantage in the sea. But at his level, the limitations of attributes and terrain were not so great, unless he was facing a genius of the same level.

Before coming to the West Sea, he made a special trip to Tianshui Academy to practice special techniques. Now, most of the techniques of sea soul masters are useless against him. Unless a true powerhouse from Seagod Island takes action, no one in the West Sea can pose a threat to him.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment. I'll send someone over to urge them on." Bishop Seth quickly stood up and walked to the door of the private room to urge his subordinates to get things done as soon as possible. If he hadn't needed to stay with his subordinates, he would have wanted to handle the matter himself.

Yan's decision to come to the Great Soul Arena was impromptu. His original plan was to go to the Great Auction House in Hanhai City to buy an ancient soul tool, but he did not expect that the treasure had been sealed and stored in the Great Auction House, and it would take a long time to retrieve it.

Since they had nothing better to do, and the Great Soul Arena was right next to the Great Auction House, they went there to wait and watch some performances to kill time.

"Bishop Seth, I have brought you this." Just as Yan was feeling a bit bored, the person in charge of the Grand Auction House came to the Grand Soul Arena in person. This would normally be quite a lively event, but at this moment no one dared to join in the fun. The person in charge of the auction house carried a box all the way to Bishop Seth, and presented the box after bowing respectfully.

"Come in with me." Bishop Seth was relieved to see that the man had finally arrived. He wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief and led the auction house manager to Yan's side.

"Your Highness, the item has arrived." Bishop Seth's respectful gesture made the auction house manager's heart skip a beat. He took a deep breath and stepped forward to slowly open the box.

"Your Highness, and two gentlemen, Bishop Seth. This treasure is the ancient soul tool, the Dragon Abyss Boat, which has been treasured for many years by the Grand Auction House of Hanhai City." Inside the private room, as the auction house manager introduced the item, Yan's gaze couldn't help but fall on the box containing a rather peculiar-looking object.

It looks like a ship model, about a foot long, with a spindle-shaped exterior, a dragon-head-shaped front end, and a fish-tail-like upright tail. There are four wings on each side that look like fish fins. It is milky white all over, as if it were carved from jade.

The moment the auction house manager opened the box, Yan could clearly feel the energy fluctuations emanating from the object. It was a well-preserved and powerful ancient soul tool, which was not only usable but also of great research value.

Yan reached out and picked up the white jade-colored soul tool, resembling a ship model, to examine it. The auction house manager quickly explained, "Your Highness, this Dragon Abyss Ship is an ancient treasure discovered by our auction house's exploration team in a marine ruin. Its effects are extremely unique; it requires a soul master to activate it with soul power to reveal its true form. Its original form is approximately twelve meters long and two meters in diameter at its widest point, capable of accommodating twelve to fifteen passengers. It can navigate the sea, both on the surface and underwater. Our auction house specialists have even tested it, diving to depths of over three hundred meters without encountering any danger. With it, navigating the seas is no longer a concern. In the event of a large storm, one can immediately dive into the deep water. This object can be used to submerge and admire the underwater scenery. When it transforms into its true form, it is completely transparent, allowing one to see anything within the ocean." The scenery from any angle is incredibly magical. Furthermore, it can withstand attacks from soul skills of a hundred-year-old soul beast, making it a lifesaver in critical situations. However, since terrifying sea soul beasts often inhabit the deep sea, we advise against venturing into the deep sea to avoid danger. This treasure is powerful and an ancient soul tool. Although it has some limitations and can only be used in the sea or large rivers and lakes, its price cannot be too low. Therefore, our initial price was 15,000 gold soul coins, and it has been consistently lowered but still failed to sell. At the last grand auction, its price was 12,000 gold soul coins, but it still failed to sell. Your Highness, if you are willing to accept it, it will only cost 10,000 gold soul coins.” The auction house manager was very generous, even lowering the price. This treasure had been sitting unsold for too long, and now that he finally saw hope, he naturally wanted to try his best.

Yan toyed with the ancient soul tool that resembled a model of a white jade warship, occasionally using his soul power to test and examine its wonders.

To be fair, the price offered by the auction house wasn't high. This ancient soul tool is well-preserved and undamaged. As long as it isn't destroyed, it can be used for many years, and its effects are quite powerful.

However, it is somewhat useless because it can only be used in large bodies of water and has no offensive power. Unless you are a wealthy merchant or noble who is not short of money and likes to dive and enjoy sightseeing, basically no one would be willing to buy such a soul tool.

The fact that the Dragon Abyss Boat couldn't be sold was partly due to the location of Hanhai City. The vast majority of Soul Masters living here were Sea Soul Masters.

They all possess the ability to stir up storms and swim freely at sea. If that's the case, what use do they have for the Dragon Abyss Boat?

"Fifteen thousand gold soul coins, don't be too happy yet, I have additional conditions." Yan spoke after examining the artifact for a long time, and before the auction house manager could rejoice, he continued, "I also want all the research data your auction house has collected on this soul tool over the years. Since you're putting it up for auction, you must have mastered some of the technology and applied it to shipbuilding, right? I'll offer another five thousand gold soul coins to buy a few of your warships. A total of twenty thousand gold soul coins, I think that's enough for you to satisfy the shareholders of the grand auction house." The auction house manager looked troubled.

"Well... since you've put it that way, I wouldn't dare to lie. Our auction house only has a few warships built using a portion of the Dragon Abyss Ship's technology, and I can only authorize the sale of two." Yan didn't care about money; Gold Soul Coins were just numbers to him now. He raised his hand to interrupt the person in charge.

“Then two ships will do. However, I still need to build warships that involve key information about the Dragon Abyss Ship. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?” The auction house manager quickly replied, “In that case, there shouldn’t be any problem. I should be able to bring the items and complete the handover by noon tomorrow. I will then inform Bishop Seth separately.”

"In that case, you can go now. Lord Seth will handle the follow-up arrangements with you." Yan nodded and took out two gold cards from his soul tool. These were special gold cards issued by the Spirit Hall, each representing 10,000 gold soul coins. Naturally, they were something Yan had created.

He definitely needs to carry gold soul coins when traveling across the continent, but it would be foolish to stuff his soul tool full of money. Besides, the Spirit Hall has branches in various cities across the continent, so it would be a shame not to open a bank.

Moreover, the savings interest rates offered by the Spirit Hall Bank are extremely low. Even for long-term deposits, the highest interest rate is only about one percent, while the interest rates for current accounts are even lower.

Money can generate more money. The Spirit Hall is powerful and influential, and even nobles dare not default on their debts. The returns from mortgage loans are naturally considerable. The profit margin in this back-and-forth is enormous.

Now that he had money in his hands, Yan naturally had no concept of gold soul coins anymore; there was no one on the continent who could talk to him about money.

In his eyes, the emperors of the two great empires were also penniless, after all, a large portion of the royal family's wealth was deposited in the Spirit Hall Bank, and who knows what the reason behind that was.

...At noon on the second day, Yan arrived early at the dock west of Hanhai City. The Hanhai City Martial Soul Main Hall had mobilized manpower and resources from many branch halls along the coast of the western continent for this operation, including sturdy and tall warships, skilled sailors, and numerous powerful sea soul masters.

Surrounded and protected by countless powerful figures, Yan set sail towards the azure sea, breaking through endless waves and embarking on a brand new journey.

Chapter 245 Pirates and Archipelago

In the azure sea, the elite warships of the Spirit Hall sailed in formation towards the deep sea, creating long white trails of water as they cut through the waves.

For humankind, the ocean is far more mysterious and dangerous than the continent. Currently, across the Douluo Continent, aside from a few forbidden areas like the Star Dou Great Forest and the Northern Ice Plains, most of the land has been conquered by humans.

However, this vast and boundless ocean is far from being conquered or controlled. Humanity's understanding of this endless deep ocean is limited, even to the nearshore areas. The far reaches of the open ocean remain largely unknown.

The ocean is teeming with powerful spirit beasts, making it extremely dangerous. But it also holds boundless wealth, with corals, pearls, and all sorts of rare treasures attracting countless adventurers to embark on journeys to conquer the sea.

The city of Hanhai is located near the sea, and the surrounding area is mostly saline-alkali land, which is completely unsuitable for growing crops. Only the various marine creatures can bring benefits to Hanhai City. It is precisely because of the sea that the people here can exchange for various resources.

Living by the sea, countless people from Hanhai City set sail daily, hoping to reap a harvest, due to its proximity to the Western Sea. Even though people perish at sea every year at the hands of sea spirit beasts, this situation remains unchanged.

On the flagship in the center of the Spirit Hall fleet, Yan stood at the highest point of the ship, gazing into the distance, holding a special nautical chart in his hand.

Don't underestimate this sea chart. It's a detailed map of the Western Sea that the Spirit Hall painstakingly obtained. It includes not only many islands, such as Seagod Island, but also more distant sea areas.

However, due to the obstruction of Seagod Island, the Spirit Hall was ultimately unable to explore deeper into the area. They could only say that they had a fairly good understanding of the near-shore area of ​​the West Sea, and only had some vague guesses about the areas further away.

Yan had a good day at sea. The sun was shining brightly and the sea was calm. The sailors on the main ship worked together with the captain and first mate to steer the ship forward at high speed, continuing to sail into more distant waters.

The scenery of the sea is truly unique, with its vast, boundless expanse of water and the spectacular sight of the sea and sky merging in the distance. The sun hangs high overhead, illuminating the shimmering surface of the sea.

Yan gazed at the distant, faintly disappearing silhouettes of ships. These were some of the vessels that had set sail at the same time as them, but most ships, unless they were from the same company or were very familiar with each other, rarely traveled together. The high seas weren't so orderly; sometimes, being wary of others was the best way to survive.

Yan stood on high ground, gazing into the distance. The sea breeze blew against him, making him feel cooler and calmer, even though it was a bit chilly.

Yan made markings on the nautical chart against the sea breeze. Although he was not a professional sailor, with the help of the AI ​​Dawn, he learned these professional skills very quickly. In addition, he constantly checked the route against the charts, so his progress was rapid.

He was just being prepared. Although the people the Spirit Hall had arranged were all professionals and there shouldn't be any problems, he was afraid of dying, and he always had to have a last resort.

He kept comparing, marking, calibrating, and understanding, and soon the sun in the sky moved to a position slightly west of the horizon. At this moment, a servant from the main ship came forward to remind him, "Your Highness, lunch is ready."

"Ah."

Yan wasn't a workaholic. After being reminded, he nodded, put down the nautical chart, rubbed his tired eyes, and went down to the restaurant to have a meal.

The lunch at the ocean restaurant naturally features seafood, including cod, tuna, crab, and lobster—all considered specialty resources from the ocean.

The finest ingredients were naturally reserved for important figures like Yan, and the head chef was a food-type Soul Master from Hanhai City.

Yan doesn't like eating raw food, so the sashimi that is a specialty of Hanhai City is of no use. However, a chef is a chef after all, and the food he makes is extremely delicious.

Tuna can be made into sashimi, and pan-frying is also an excellent cooking method. There are also fried cod fillets, crab and lobster that are simply boiled to maintain the best texture. The main course is seafood risotto, which is served with some lemon juice and vegetables to cut through the richness. This meal was quite good.

After having a hearty meal, Yan took a few leisurely walks on the deck to digest his food. When the sun wasn't so scorching, he set up a parasol and started sunbathing.

The sea was getting rougher in the afternoon, but the Spirit Hall's warships were specially made and naturally incomparable to ordinary ships. Although there was some rocking, it did not affect their rest.

They spent the afternoon in this semi-resting manner, and nothing unusual happened until sunset. Sailing on the ocean was indeed somewhat monotonous, with limited space to move around, and Yan had no intention of swimming, so the day passed by in boredom.

On the morning of the second day, Yan was unusually absent. It wasn't that he was sick or anything; he was simply too lazy to move. Anyway, there was nothing to do that morning. And as anyone who loves to sleep in knows, even if you've slept for ten hours, when you still want to sleep, you'll only get more and more tired.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window onto the bed. The air was filled with the salty smell of the sea breeze, along with a faint scent of sunshine. Just as Yan was about to close his eyes and have another three hundred rounds of sleep, there was a sudden commotion outside.

The noise woke Yan up instantly. He got up, quickly put on his clothes, and walked out of the room. There were beautiful female deacons from the Spirit Hall who were already prepared to help him dress and tie his clothes.

"What's going on outside?"

Yan glanced at the beautiful butler who was kneeling on the ground tying his shoelaces. This beauty had a good figure, and if he remembered correctly, she had a Rainbow Fish Martial Soul. Her Martial Soul possession state was very much like a mermaid and she was exceptionally beautiful. If Yan hadn't been so determined, he almost couldn't resist and tasted this special seafood yesterday.

"Your Highness, it seems we've encountered pirates outside, but with all of you gentlemen here, I imagine those pirates are no threat."

The mermaid butler's voice was soft and sweet, and her lips were very luscious. I wonder what she tasted like. However, Yan had long since transcended vulgar tastes and had high standards. He wouldn't even look at ordinary girls.

He's a bit of a germaphobe; he never throws away things he's used. Over the years, he's had his share of beautiful women offering themselves to him, but he's basically rejected them all. For him, it's either no relationship at all, or they become his captives—those are the only two choices.

The mermaid in front of him clearly did not meet his standards. Although she was indeed very tempting, he did not feel any attraction to her. He only glanced at her a few more times because she was pretty enough. After tidying up his clothes, he went directly to the deck.

The sea outside was quite lively at this time. It seemed that some pirate group had mistaken Yan and his fleet for a merchant group and actually rushed over to surround them. When they got close, they realized that they had provoked someone they shouldn't have. Unfortunately, it was too late to regret it.

Yan had previously given orders that the pirates on the island should not be spared; even if they weren't killed, they should all be captured. The battle that was now erupting was a rather intense scene of naval warfare.

Countless sea spirit masters clashed and fought beneath the surface, while the Spirit Hall's ships, maneuvered by their sailors, rapidly approached the pirate ship. When the two sides' ships finally met in boarding action, a one-sided massacre ensued.

Although the Spirit Hall's fleet this time cannot compare in scale to the battle to conquer Seagod Island more than ten years ago, it still dispatched a great many elite troops.

There were no ordinary people in the entire fleet. The sailors, cooks, and even the odd-job service staff were all Soul Masters from the Spirit Hall. At least they were deacons at the level of second-ring Great Soul Masters. In some remote places, they would be considered important figures.

The pirates who encountered the Spirit Hall fleet were just a pirate group of about a thousand people. The leader was barely at the Soul Master level, and the entire pirate group had less than fifty Soul Masters. They were simply unable to resist the encirclement and suppression by the Spirit Hall.

The battle ended even more decisively than Yan had imagined. It was just a Soul Emperor from the Spirit Hall leading a few Soul Venerables, and a group of pirates were slaughtered.

Low-level Soul Masters are basically powerless against high-level Soul Masters who are two rings higher than them. Any four-ring Soul Master will fall in one move. As for the rest, those who drop their weapons can save their lives, while those who resist or react slowly will go to meet the King of Hell.

"Boom bang bang..."

The corpses were thrown directly into the sea for disposal, which took up a lot of space. The pirate ship was quickly cleaned up.

Under Yan's instructions, the Spirit Hall put these guys to trial. Those whose crimes were extremely serious, such as those who had tortured, humiliated, or murdered others, were humanely disposed of and fed to the sea fish. As for the rest, their fates were still under consideration.

This doesn't mean that the remaining ones are good people or anything. In fact, there are no good people among pirates. Almost every one of them is a criminal stained with blood. But as long as they are not the kind of perverted guys, they still have value to be used, oops, I mean to be saved.

If nothing unexpected happens, they won't need freedom for the rest of their lives. They will continue to atone for their sins until death, such as clearing land, serving as cannon fodder, and performing daily prayers and repentance, which are the source of their faith.

Yan Duan sat under the parasol, and soon the pirate leader, a fourth-ring Soul Master, was brought over. Yan glanced at the man in front of him and casually asked, "What's your name? What do you know?"

"I am Blackbeard Cidias, the captain of the Blackbeard Pirates..."

Upon hearing the guy's introduction, Yan couldn't help but take a second look at him. Blackbeard, well, the guy in front of him did indeed have a thick beard on his chin, which seemed to match his nickname. He thought this was a crossover from some One Piece storyline.

Yan interrupted the man's pleas for mercy before he could finish his introduction, and continued to ask, "Second question, where is the nearest island to Seagod Island? And on the other islands, are there any spies or informants from Seagod Island?"

"Sir, I know, I know..."

Blackbeard hurriedly said, "This island, the closest to Seagod Island, has now been renamed Purple Pearl Island. It's the territory of the Purple Pearl Pirates. This pirate crew is a bit special; their leader is one of ten hot girls in their twenties, and they're called Purple Pearls..."

Chapter 246 Purple Pearl Island

"This location...it seems the intelligence isn't updated in a timely manner." Yan circled a section of sea on the map, which matched the place Blackbeard pointed to. However, the name was different from the label, probably because the Spirit Hall's sea charts hadn't been updated in recent years.

The Western Sea region is quite chaotic, especially the near-shore islands close to the mainland, which are mostly occupied by pirates. In addition to plundering land and sea ships, these pirates also fight among themselves, so it is quite normal for islands to change hands.

"Purple Pearl Island, Purple Pearl, that should be the one who appeared before, right? In her twenties, a Soul Master, her age and strength match up." After thinking for a while, Yan roughly confirmed the identity of this Purple Pearl. If there were no surprises, she would be a minor supporting character in the original work. He wondered if she could give him some surprises, and hoped that she could be of some help.

After capturing the pirate crew, Yan obtained the latest intelligence about the waters near Poseidon Island. After reviewing the situation, he replanned his route, intending to first settle on Purple Pearl Island before making other arrangements.

...Purple Pearl Island is a relatively large island located near Poseidon Island. Waves crash against the shore, and the sandy beach with its fine white sand is extremely beautiful from afar.

On the beach, a few fishermen were collecting seaweed and sea lettuce washed ashore by the waves. Suddenly, one of them noticed something unusual and quickly got up to look ahead.

"Everyone be careful, a ship is coming, it might be pirates."